It is well known to use extraction tools to remove threaded fasteners that have been damaged. Typically, these tools are either used in conjunction with a socket wrench, or else a wrench may be placed around the periphery of the extraction tool in order to apply torque to remove the damaged fastener.
These tools often accomplish the extraction of a fastener through the use of “teeth” made up of angled faces located within an opening in the tool. To remove a fastener, the teeth partially cut into and grasp the fastener. These types of extraction tools, however, often have shortcomings in the geometry of the teeth. The shape of the teeth may cause material from various fasteners to build up between the teeth, thus rendering the toot less effective. This, in turn, may require cleaning the teeth, which may be tedious and time-consuming.
Another problem associated with the shape of the teeth is that when a fastener is being extracted, the fastener may penetrate and thus cause damage to the angled faces that make up the teeth. This may result in an extraction tool having a significantly shorter useful life.
Extraction tools typically are designed to be attached to a socket wrench on one end, and to be placed over a fastener at the other end. Thus, one end of the tool typically will have an opening that must be sized to be compatible with the socket wrench, while the other end will have an opening that is sized to be placed over a fastener to be removed. This opening may need to be sized to accommodate very large fasteners. When this occurs, the extraction tool may be more difficult to fabricate, since it may require a pair of openings to each be machined into the tool whose sizes vary greatly from each other.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have an extraction tool that overcomes one or more of the disadvantages and limitations described above.